Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has said that European leaders must acknowledge the need to change their strategy regarding Ukraine.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has said that Budapest is in talks with Russia and Ukraine on keeping open gas shipments via Ukraine even though its Russian gas imports now come via the Turkstream pipeline.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has appointed a new ambassador of Ukraine to Hungary. He is Ukrainian volunteer Fedir Shandor from Zakarpattia, RBC-Ukraine reports, citing presidential decree №876. Fedir Shandor is a Ukrainian of Hungarian descent originally from the Zakarpattia region.

Hungary, which maintains close ties with Moscow despite Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, has consistently criticized EU sanctions against Russia and blocked initiatives to provide military aid to Kyiv.

The Kyiv Independent reported that Zelensky's announcement comes on the heels of Ukraine's parliament confirming on September 5 Andrii Sybiha as the new foreign minister after Dmytro Kuleba's resignation. It is all part of "a shift in Kyiv's diplomatic team amid the ongoing challenges posed by war," the outlet said.

Hungary still hopes that Russia and Ukraine may agree on a ceasefire and a large-scale exchange of prisoners by Orthodox Christmas, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said, speaking on a Kossuth radio program.

Turkey and Hungary said they have received exemptions for gas payments to Russia after the United States imposed sanctions on Gazprombank, removing a major hurdle to the gas trade with Moscow.

Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said the country is open to negotiating a deal for gas transit but will not extend the current agreement with Russia.

"In a long conversation ... Putin and I exchanged views on the military situation in Ukraine, the possibilities of an early peaceful end to the war, and on mutual relations between the Slovak Republic and the Russian Federation,

Russian President Vladimir Putin held surprise talks at the Kremlin on Sunday with Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, officials said, after he had warned of harsh reprisals against Ukraine over a drone attack.

Russian President Vladimir Putin hosted Slovakia's Prime Minister Robert Fico in Moscow, marking an uncommon visit by an EU leader since Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Details of their discussion remain unspecified.